What's Wrong with Scale Modelling? Where did it all go wrong?

For my Weekly Talk Feast, (WTF), I discuss why scale modelling has got so complex and strayed from being a relaxing hobby turning into a mind numbing expectation of perfection. Where did it all go wrong?
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[@thabigboy572]

As a younger member of the hobby (21), i'd like to add my own two cents. The real beauty of scale modelling is in the freedom, You can take any kit and build out of the box without much thought and have a great time, but you ALSO can go all out with the detailing and rivet counting. Some people, including myself, love to learn about the history, the looks, the variants, how a subject evolved over time, and then want to create a very accurate replica of it. In the same way that many people just like to build a simple kit and relax. Anything is fine, it's a hobby, you need to find out what YOU enjoy, and that can include spending money on aftermarket and end up with a really detailed model, or just enjoy the process of putting in a lot of work into a model, but ultimately it's your choice. I think the hobby is generally in a much better place than it was back in the day, because you can do anything: old kits, new kits, highly detailed kits, aftermarket, complex weathering, scratch building, large kits, small kits, cheap kits, expensive kits... Anything! There's problems too of course, there are money hungry companies trying to sell you useless stuff, kits are generally too expensive i feel (but so is everything else, that's an economy problem) and there's always going to be an annoying asshole that's either going to try and get all the attention and praise for himself or that's going to try and tell you how you should enjoy the hobby. But you can ignore those things (aside from the prices but oh well, everything in life is becoming expensive). You can find enjoyment in every facet of the hobby, and i for one think that having the option of aftermaket or complex expensive kits is better than not having it, many people like that sort of thing, as i've said. So yeah, find what you enjoy and/or find relaxing, that's the beauty of it! If anyone has read though all this, thank you for hearing my thoughts, i hope too hear your as well!

[@declan1278]

You said it kid enjoy it

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Now there is an old head on young shoulders. Well said.

[@rossdavis397]

great presentation Harry. You nailed it fair and square. As old farts we start losing our eyesight and our hands start to shake but our expectations of perfection are still there. I spend more time on the floor looking for small parts than I do modelling. .you tube doesn't help!!The quality of some of the featured models is amazing -well out of my current ability now.

[@thanassisveggos627]

At least you can get down on the floor and look for the little buggers. I get down and I need a crane to get me back up😂

[@melvynkersley-nc8fx]

I’d be rich if I had a “tender” for every time my wife looked in and said”what are you looking for now?” as I scrabble about for the thing I’d just dropped again!😂

[@melvynkersley-nc8fx]

*tenner”!!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I am on first name terms with my carpet monster.. we spend so much time together I think she could claim a de facto relationship

[@czarneckims]

Spot on - should be required viewing for every single model builder on KZbin. Harry you absolutely nailed it.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Please yes… if everyone on KZbin watched my videos I would not have to have a job on the side to support my channel :)

[@jonbell3020]

Doesn’t matter how you get there, If you like the result you’ve won 👍

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Perfectly summed up

[@rwhunt99]

My biggest pet peeve is; after spending a huge amount of money on a kit, then you have to go out and spend yet even more money to get decent parts to replace what you should have gotten for that huge price in the first place. I think when you get good at your hobby, you feel like trying to go the extra mile to make this expensive model look even better or to out do other hobbyists, or even to simply build your skills even better.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

This why I scratch build the extra detail myself more and more… why pay someone else to do the hobby for you? You will be missing out on all the fun.

[@Chilly_Billy]

What went wrong? People realized they could make money off the obsessive-compulsives in the hobby. Downhill from there. But as my friend Max of Max's Models says, "make it what you want it to be."

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yep you do you…

[@davidryall-flanders6353]

I've changed hobbies without realising it. I thought I was a modeller but what I really do is collect nearly every new kit that comes out, including all that lovely aftermarket and then I sit back and watch an endless procession of KZbinrs build said kit. As once said by someone smarter than me," I have more kits than heartbeats left."

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yep Stable… Stash Beyond Life Expectancy

[@BuddyX74]

As hpiguy says (a Yank, like me 😊), “Build your models the way you want to build them.” If you can afford, and want the fancy stuff, good on you. But you can build a beautiful model with barebones tools and a little know how, which you folks so kindly provide (for free I might add!), and be proud of the results! I know! Just got back into the hobby after 35 years, and was pretty darned tickled with the results. Great video!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks matey

[@Itsjustme-Justme]

The biggest problem isn't the existance of all the aftermarket detailling stuff. The biggest problem is that too many experienced modellers tend to create the impression that you can't build a beautiful model without it. That scares off beginners. Especially the teenage boys who have been the typical beginners in all these decades since the invention of plastic modelling. They don't havethe skills yet because they are beginners (obviously) and most of the time they don't have the money for aftermarket parts and very special weathering paints and whatever that costs way more than the kit. If they get told they need this and that and have to take care of idontknow, they won't even try it. The manufacturers follow the path of more and more complexity that master modellers ask for. That leads to the unpleasant situation that a brand new kit is much harder to build than an old one. Despite the much more advanced moulding technology that actually should make it easier because the parts fit together much better.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Well said

[@jprules2578]

It was a hobby. But even as a kid I wanted mine to look like the ones in the hobby shop and no matter how a tried(and followed the directions) I couldn't make mine look better.(I had no mentors, my dad was not a builder). Then I asked the gentleman at the store why these models looked so good. He spoke to me about gloss finishes and THEN decaling, and THEN another clear coat and semi and matt finishes. Mind blown. Then came washes, chalk powder dusted on. And that was all AFTER FINALLY attempting air brushing with a single stage airbrush. Point I'm making is if we NEVER were self critical and curious at wanting to get better....then what point would the hobby be? I'm not a rivet counter by any stretch, but if a kit isn't made well, and a certain aftermarket piece will fix it, I'll take it. Many times I will make do with what is presented in the kit if it isn't terribly wrong.(OOB) The kits nowadays are soooo much better in so many ways, and the technology has come so far that many times when a new kit is presented and there are glaring errors in it, and there are easy references for such subject it DOES come across as insulting to the modeler that the company couldn't have simply done a better job of study/execution. And in so doing, some of those companies have hurt themselves and/or disappeared. The hobby is not as large as it was, and you can't afford to continually insult builders with veiled re-issues or lazy mold making. Especially when we've seen some of those same "lazy" companies execute fantastic kits.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

A lot to digest there…

[@tgapete01]

i know what you mean about connections. Many years ago, while still at school, I built the 1/48 Bandai Valentine. So I painted it following the instructions in a desert scheme. Dad was horrified, they were green! Why didn't you paint it green? He was right of course, Valentines and Matildas were painted green, only sandy in the desert, so thats what he would have seen in service. I made the Matchbox Diamond T tank transporter, showed dad and he immediately recognised it (he drove trucks during the war). Making a 1/32 Corsair, i was told I should have seen Mr. Gunn who lived up the road. You guessed it, he flew Corsairs during the war. All those connections we had, now sadly passed. They attached a level of realism to those models you could never replicate.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes time marches relentlessly on….

[@ronandanne1]

If you want to make it complicated you can; if you want to keep it simple you can do that too. It's up to you.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Exactly what I said…

[@Jack-bs6zb]

Don’t see a problem. Our only ‘burden’ is the greater choice we now have. Build simple or sophisticated. It’s up to you. It’s not a competition unless you want it to be. You lose sleep about this?

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

LOL… it was not literal… simply a metaphor about how some people feel about the way things have changed in the hobby since the 60’s.

[@joshuamurphy4928]

The internet. The best and worst thing to happen to scale modeling. We have all the information, pictures, and products we need just a search away, but as you said sometimes it can make us feel like we have to have it all. The kit I'm doing now has a ton of photoetch, but I'm not using a lot of it because the kit is just as good. With add ons to our models we should always ask "Is the juice worth the squeeze?"

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

An excellent fruity analogy

[@garylawless3608]

Excellent video as always Harry. I am not what you call an experienced modeller by any means. I started back into the hobby a couple of years ago at age 70, and I think my previous modelling experiences ended around age 16 ( a long, long time ago in a galaxy, far, far, away). I faced a steep learning curve once I started again, but the whole experience has been a joy. I just build models the way I like them, not what is expected, and I must admit I enjoy the building more than the painting and weathering. At my age, photo-etch is a nightmare considering my shaky hands and weak eyesight, so if it comes with the kit I will use it, but I won’t purchase aftermarket stuff. Your comments are encouraging for modellers like myself - do what you enjoy, for the pure enjoyment of it. One of your best mate! Cheers from a fellow Aussie!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Good on you Gary. Always nice to hear from you.

[@peterkensey6728]

Once upon a time we drove Morris 1100s too. The world has moved on. I grew up with B&W TV. If you wanted to change the channel, you got up, walked to the set, turned a dial, re-aligned the arial and sat down again. Remember when we didn't have seat belts, Thai food, mobile phones, MRI machines and a million other improvements to our lives? If you want to build like we both did in the sixties, go for it. Me? I'll take all the help I can get.

[@jmcc2275]

I know I drove a Morris 1100.👍🏻

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I drove a 60’s Cortina LOL… but yes the world has moved on and we have a lot to be thankful for. Except photo etch… that stuff is evil!

[@PanzermansBunker]

Great thing about this hobby is you do what you want. If you want PE and aftermarket stuff....go for it. If you just want to build out of box.....go for it. Build for fun.....not accolades. Always LEAD....don't FOLLOW.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Some can do that…. many cannot, as evident by the comments here and discussions I have had with other modellers.

[@jerryvolpini7987]

Whose to blame for this shift in modelling - us! The Internet, resin, photoetch, 3d printing, they are all tools we can choose to use, or NOT. People need to stop blamind the industry - WE created the demand and we got exactly what WE asked for (we are our own worst enemies!). If people want to go back to the good ole days, then do it! Plenty of good kits out there that are a quick, simple build. We all bitch about Tamiya not going the full monty but they are making the exact models you're talking about. Like you said, relax and enjoy the hobby, stop listening to the voices, lol, build what makes YOU happy! 😊

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Wise words

[@stevesmodelbuilds5473]

This is an issue with model railroad hobbyists, too. There's even a line of very high-quality model trains called Rivet Counter. I think we can all admit to a streak of OCD -- it's one reason we enjoy modeling. For some, that streak is a mile wide, and obsessing over realism is a big part of that. Then, of course, there's the 'Nerd Factor,' and the snobbery that goes with it. The fact is, any model is just that -- it's not the real thing, it's a representation of reality. There's plenty of ways to 'sex-up' any model kit, whether by one's own detailing, or with after-market stuff. For me, I want a kit that's accurate (if not perfect) and assembles properly without too much unnecessary difficulty. If, in the end, I'm pleased with the results, I'm happy. I'm not going to ruin my enjoyment of the hobby because a panel line or whatever isn't correct for that version -- that's what paint is for... 😎

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Well you guys did come up with the “rivet counter” LOL

[@stevesmodelbuilds5473]

@@HarryHoudiniModels True 😎. But it feeds the same obsession. One great thing about either hobby -- and they're not mutually exclusive -- is, as you said, we can make what we want of the hobby. They're open to all skill-levels, most income levels, and all kinds of sub-interests within them 😀.

[@paulhennessy5627]

So much my own modelling philosophy, mostly out of box . It's a hobby, my decompression. I am totally with you on the doing as much or as little as you want. I build and paint for myself, if someone else likes it thats nice, but if they dint no sleep lost here.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

A very solid attitude Paul.

[@glenflanderka6504]

Find what you want to do, what brings you pleasure and go for it. Your stuff doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. In the end it just has to look good to you.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

That’s the ticket

[@geoffredmond730]

In a word mate it has become too expensive, I love my scale modelling, especially ships and cars, however most decent models have to come from overseas , and by the time they arrive in Australia the freight costs are as much as the model itself, what for something to look at on the shelf. I have more pressing needs to spend my money on nowadays.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes it has become a big cash grab in the “golden age” (read take my gold coins) of scale modelling. I look forward to buying inexpensive 3D print files then spitting out my own models at whatever scale and detail level I want.

[@nickbutler7935]

Bring back the 'Baggies' lol. I build my models to the best standard I can and I'm content. Dodgy eyes and hands virtually rule out P.E.. I now rarely enter competitions as there are too many 'Fokkers' counting the rivets, which has tarnished that aspect of things for me. I introduced a friends Grandson to the hobby by donating some kits from my stash. It was so good just to watch him slap it together, splodge some paint on and Bingo Bongo ( copy right and trade marks of H.H. fully respected). It reminded me so much of my early days. Thing is I'm a tad worried I have created a monster. Also jealous his initial efforts are so much better than mine were. Cheers for the video Harry.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Great story Nick… sorry for the late reply, I was inundated with hundreds of comments on this one

[@mr.hainie2543]

Best advice i ever heard; "comparison is the thief of joy."

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

It certainly can be matey

[@kevinrace5584]

Nice one Harry, couldn’t agree more with your comments & thoughts, you are so right on every level. It’s not about a model kit anymore it’s turned into executive engineering builds. Cheers.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Bloody executive suits… messing everything up with their stuffed shirts LOL

[@19chinaman62]

You're absolutely right (and/or left) about this. It all boiles down to : 1. Know what you really want to do, 2. develop a plan, make arangements (or don't), 3. and DO it ! It's all about the fun you can have being creative and as long you have fun nothing can really fail, you'll only learn and get better.... wich gives móre fun 😋😉 I live in the Netherlands, never get bored, am 61 but have plans and kits to keep me busy for something like a 100 years ? Happy Modelling ✌😁👍

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Hope you get those 100 years to finish your kits :)

[@19chinaman62]

@@HarryHoudiniModels Thanks Harry, that would be great haha and also to see how scale modelling has developed by then 🤓 Cheers 🤟 Peter

[@JETScaleModels]

not everyone wants to do it easy- sometimes its more fun to squeeze as much realism into a subject as possible.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Each to their own matey… no one is forcing you one way or the other

[@jmatch3744]

I’m in the younger generation and the reaction I get when I tell people that I build model planes is “wow I think my dad used to do that as a kid!” I feel old and I’m not even 20.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Don’t listen to the neigh sayers… nothing wrong with having a hobby which is not digital or on a screen. We want more of you youngsters to keep the hobby alive

[@swedishgooner6339]

People weathering tanks like they’ve been used for years. It was barely common that the paint had dried until the tank was destroyed.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes that has always been absurd… but paint and weather it anyway you like… just don’t tell me I have to do it the same LOL

[@swedishgooner6339]

@@HarryHoudiniModels Exact my point but I just wanted to point that out. As for me I stick with some dirt and wet effects

[@cherminatorDR]

I haven't encountered any project, where I NEEDED after-market parts, but I did buy a bunch

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes that is the issue, the compulsion to buy aftermarket due to seeing relentless social media builds…. we simply don’t need it.

[@TheDesertMarlin]

The connections with history, my past and my dad. This is what truly makes me happy in this hobby. Spot on mate!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks Matey

[@JHartModelworks]

Absolutely nothing is wrong. If you don't like it, don't do it. Build what you want, it will be great! Others of us are driven to do crazy details. Half the stuff i do no one will ever see. It's fun for us and ... it's great. The awesome thing about this hobby you can go as deep down the rabbit hole as you want to go, but when you want to get off the ride, just stop and call it good.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Absolutely true matey

[@osoloko1973]

Relax and Enjoy it's a Hobby 😎👍

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Absolutely

[@xcomboy666]

The simplicity is still there. Nobody is forcing you to buy the 600-piece kit, the photo-etch, decals, masks, etc., etc. This oppression is 100% self-inflicted. All these accessories and tools are there because we begged for them. I've crushed the fun out of my own modeling with thousands of kits I will never build, a wall of paints, expensive tools, a $550 airbrush and on and on. Even if I had enough years left, many of the vintage kits in my collection are so valuable it feels like it would be a crime to actually build them. There is an effective therapy though. Take a favorite old kit off the shelf, ignoring its current value, and just build it, with simple tools and some brush paint. Work that X-Acto knife, scrape those seams, make solid cement joints. Take back the fun. Just be careful, you may ultimately discover you went down the high-tech route for a reason. Addendum: That expensive airbrush is an Iwata Custom Micron B Airbrush Ver 2. It will pretty much place a pixel of paint wherever you want one. As fabulous as that is, the brush I recommend is the HUBEST 0.3mm Fine Line Dual-Action Airbrush from Amazon for $16. Basically an Iwata clone, it will paint as fine and true as you will ever need.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

My goodness… who sells a $550 airbrush?

[@fenman1954]

My enjoyment comes from building it as it comes out of the box . Not into weathering

[@christosswc]

Ditto, putting the thing together. I call it the "basic build" and it's what I enjoy.

[@supercededman]

Spot on!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Same for me

[@willthorson4543]

No one is forcing anyone to do anything when it comes to modeling. Its still a reltively lonely 1 person hobby. I am 51. I've been there in the 80s when things started changing. It was exciting. Did you all forget when we all got excited when ONE kit was released in 6 months? Now we get brand new kits all the time! Things we all never thought would see in plastic. Kits today fit a lot better than before the 90s. I personally love accurate kits. I build both out of box and i've done loads of after market and both make me happy. I cannot vouch for what others think. But for me? As a disabled veteran, building models is one of the best things i can do both pbysically and mentally. I love challenges. I love research. I love out of box builds. I love adding a ton to a model. I love seeing others people's work. I love seeing those that are phenominal at scratch building and painting and weathering. It is all motivation for me. I love to challenge myself. I love to try new techmiques and do more and more things to make my models look better and accurate. Like you said, that is what i love about this hobby. We live in a golden age of modeling across the board. From beautifully detailed models to references to the internet to seeing others works we would never be able to see otherwise. As a hobby? I think it is still relitively cheap. Times change. Prices go up on everything. I build a lot o tamiya kits. Still fantastic out of the box, you can add anything you want, or not. Still usually good prices. If not? Go to a model show and peruse the tables and buy kits that are pretty cheap, a good 50 to 75% off the actual price. People today get so hung up on what others think, or how they model instead of just sitting back and enjoying a fantastic hobby. Just remember people, no one is fircing you to do anything model related. Don't worry about what others think. Not eveyone has to like a model you make. Absorb the critiques, learn and keep building. Strive to be better...or not. It is always up to you.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Your last 3 sentences sum it up beautifully

[@FrankPerrone-jw1ul]

Could not agree more Harry !! Fun video and awesome Rant .

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks Frank

[@potrzebieneuman4702]

I agree with you but also there is the option to go as far as you want to. I build for my own pleasure and display and merely experiment with different methods, I'm 67 years old so I understand where you're coming from.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Good on you matey

[@michaellawrence2706]

Nothing went wrong. More detail and options is a wonderful thing. Everyone wins.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

..and yet so many feel overwhelmed by it?

[@seananthonyegan3395]

Harry you have hit the nail on the head with your observations about model making it's complex beyond belief the enjoyment has been lost from it😮

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

It sure can seem that way for many. Just look at the comments here

[@rotwang2000]

A funny thing happened a while ago, we were leafing through an old Verlinden Way book and I spotted a truck with a canvas top that was so obviously plastic, we started to look closer and ended up seeing so many flaws and issues like very obvious moulded wires complete with an even coat of silver, including the mounting brackets and even one part where we were divided between it being meant to be casting barbs or that François Verlinden failed to clean up the part properly or even some extremely obvious drybrushing. Make no mistake this was published in 1980, so much of the work had been done in the late 70's where all the luxury options we can get today didn't exist and some of the techniques he and others pioneered are still in use today, but we have learned so much more since and have access to so many techniques, tools and options. And that's in my opinion the key word : Options. You can do a straight out of the box kit with some tidying up and a straight paintjob You can ignore all the aftermarket updates, but then weather the heck out of a kit or even do a straight up building job and leave it there, or try to build an amazing diorama with a model that's been done to the highest possible standard. If you just want to recapture the magic of that first Airfix kit or try your hand on some amazing project that will blow away everyone else at the next competition, it's all valid. I know a modeller who has issues, he'll never make a "nice" model, not one for the magazines or to proudly display on the internet, he lacks fine motor skills, he's somewhat impatient, but he loves his models. And to me it's all that matters.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

That is all that matters

[@declan1278]

Mate I live on the otherside of the world to you in London but totally agree with what your saying I think the same all the best Declan

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks Declan

[@michaelcooke2559]

3D printing has changed everything in modeling. You can build what ever you can imagine. This is the biggest change ever in modeling.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I agree and may never buy aftermarket again now I can print my own parts, as little or as much as I want.

[@michaelcooke2559]

@@HarryHoudiniModels I don’t have a 3D printer yet, so I’ll keep buying a few things here and there. As of right now, I have never spent more on 3D parts for a build than I paid for the kit, and I’ll probably continue doing that.

[@MGB-learning]

Always an outstanding video and presentation.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Wow, thank you!

[@calmcanuck]

Great video! You remotivated me. All these masterpieces out there had discouraged me from just doing a simple fun model.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

You can do it!

[@ronaldbyrne3320]

Never underestimate the ability of human beings to complicate their lives Harry. 😆 I like adding photoetch and resin parts but ONLY when my extra hard work will be seen on the model. You’re right, we have to decide for ourselves if we want to add these extras, not just because we are being told that we need to. And that goes for kazillion-part 1/35 scale tank kits for another example - doesn’t work for me most times, life is too short for that kind of complication. 🤟🏻

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

True… just Keep It Simple Stupid.. KISS and you will be fine

[@amraceway]

You should treat model building like art. Some like painting by numbers... the stock box builders some like painting landscapes ... the diorama mob, some like super realism... the rivet counters, some are art collectors...the kit hoarders.. and some like the abstract... the customizers, dreamers and what if crew. What you should follow is your own passion. It is the journey that is important.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Absolutely agree

[@osoloko1973]

hey i'm art collector ... thanks 😅🤣😂

[@davidfreyta3857]

I find modeling very relaxing. I don't use much aftermarket stuff, mainly plug wires. I like scratch building the details. I'm never in a rush to finish a kit, it will be done when I think it is. I don't enter contests, I don't need the drama. I have took my models to contests just to show. I think for every great modeler I see on here there are probably 40 more we will never see. The easier you make something the more expensive it gets. And the more skills you lose. Remember heating the sprues with a candle and stretching them to make spark plug wires? That is a skill that has been lost.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I could never get a good sprue stretch… mine always caught fire

[@kinumike]

The hobby is about having fun . Just build at your own pace. For me . I'm losing my hands carpol tunnel . I'm not giving up. If there's a will there's a way. Keep on building down under. Take care Harry. Show you next time .

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Good on you David. Fun is the aim of a hobby, well it should be.

[@alisteraitken2149]

More thought provoking words of wisdom from the wizard of Oz! Keep up the great work Harry, you are an inspiration.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

The Tin Man and Toto agree

[@agdgdgwngo]

I don't think anything went wrong except in the modellers head. Cos all the resin, photo etch, etc it's been around for ages, not a recent thing really and at the end of the day it's up to you if ou want to use it or not. Certain things, like masks for example, just objectively make the hobby was quicker and easier and I wish I had them as a kid. If you like building kits the old fashioned way, with a brush and tins of enamel, it's still easily possible. We just have such a wealth of choice now. You can even buy the same old Airfix kits in vintage classics or second hand. I'm 29, so I'm too young to remember modelling, but I built hundred of old airfix kits with raised panel lines, and painted them with enamels via brush. But I also remember coming back to the hobby in like 2012 and being amazed by the choices availiable. Suddenly I could build any plane I wanted, rather than being stuck with whats on the shelf. I can read a review or watch someone else building it on youtube so I know it's a good kit. Tamiya and Eduard kits set a whole new level of fit and detail for me. In modelling terms, everything is better nowadays.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

True it is better and there is more choice but so many returning to the hobby find it overwhelming… just read the comments here

[@sgtrock6213]

Great advice my friend.....thank you for the content...

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

My pleasure!

[@TheQstoltz]

As usual you have brought us back to earth with a thoughtful discussion of the hobby. I agree that the aftermarket pressures can take you down painful rabbit holes (try Tamiya MP4/4 with the Top Studio set at 1/20 - which is a complete kicking) but you are right we need to step back and breathe and enjoy what is in front of us. Thanks again. Best wishes

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Glad you enjoyed the message matey

[@davidguy6823]

Wise words indeed Harry. I fully agree with you and really enjoy building out of the box. PE really winds me up and as you say so much of it can’t even be seen! I really enjoy all your videos and look forward to seeing them as they come out so many thanks for taking the time to make them for sharing.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks David… I enjoy making my videos, so it’s great to hear they are enjoyed

[@allandavis8201]

Personally I make models because I find it relaxing and fun, I just want to produce a finished article that pleases me, and me alone, I buy kits for the enjoyment of opening the box, studying how well it is produced, the quality of the instructions and decals etc, and if I decide I want to build it I do, I buy all the tools,paint and aftermarket parts that I want, not need, want, and I get enormous pleasure shopping online for whatever takes my fancy. I just think that as a hobby you can make it as hard or easy as you want, but at the end of the day all that matters is the pleasure you get, and if you don’t have fun/pleasure from the process then you should probably give up the hobby. I did all the fun things you did as a kid, and I did modelling as well, from about the age of 8 years old to today, now I am retired I have all the time I want to do whatever I want, perhaps my circumstances and thoughts are different from others but I don’t think I am wasting my time because it is fun to me. I don’t think it is a waste of time buying aftermarket parts etc, and I definitely don’t see it as a waste of money, if you can afford it and you want it then buy it, it all comes down to personal preference about how much or little effort and money into your hobby, not just modelling but any hobby/pastime that you enjoy doing. I agree 100% with your closing points, but, and there is always a but, I felt that during your narration you were pushing your opinion on others, but your closing points are spot on.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

You have taken it all too literally and seriously… this was just a fun poke at the way we do the hobby. Enjoy it your way.

[@blackcat62]

Harry you are both hilarious and totally right and refreshingly clear talking. Such a lot of sense. Good on you. Love it. From an old git of that certain age.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Good on you matey… with age comes… whimsy apparently?

[@barneyfyfe8313]

Nonsense! Build as you prefer to build. Let others do the same. If it bothers you that others have become more detail oriented... that's really your problem.... Not theirs. To each their own.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

It’s good that you are strong willed enough not to cave into peer pressure… many others, as seen in 90% of the comments, are not so stoic.

[@barneyfyfe8313]

@@HarryHoudiniModels I build to please myself. If I accomplish that... I'm happy. BTW.... I've seen people scratch build super detailed models that would put to shame many aftermarket laden projects.

[@Marshallo.o]

Totally get your thoughts. I even laughed with some home truths you came up with. Worth a sub for sure!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks matey

[@blackdiamond5015]

Thoroughly enjoyed your video and we think alike. Thanks for sharing!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks for watching matey

[@TheUmbralFox]

My dad would buy models in the 50s, early 60s, and build them very basically while watching Flintstones and other cartoons with a messy glue tube and supplied paints (probably that plastic-bristled brush too). I often picture that sort of thing when looking at earlier kits from Revell and others. My biggest thing I'd go stir crazy with is not having much reference past the minimal photos found in maybe a library or the papers (I build spacecraft, and in this era these were new and always evolving). I like your video, a lot of interesting points and perspectives. There's a ton of stuff now, even since I started in the 80s, but I enjoy it that way. It helps me not outgrow the passion and I can keep giving a try on more new stuff. My biggest stubborn point is printing. A bit hypocritical because I've used printed work, but I really hate how it's become the autotune of the modeling world in some ways. My biggest worry is that modeling of any kind goes away, so if it expands I think that's great. It all boils down to the same thing though: build what you want, how you want to

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I agree wholeheartedly

[@davidshepherd397]

Many things have gone this way, like camping, it used to be fairly simple with a reflector tent, then when it came into vogue Coleman came out with multi room tents, lanterns and cook stoves. Today there is very special equipment for hikers and tents on car roofs. The desire to get things right or better is part of the drive in humanity. Also the wealthy as usual want to take things and take over things, so models and model trains went from quick and easy to fancy and delicate. The best thing to do in my opinion is to build for yourself only build kits that give you joy to build and display, or not. build your skill level or stretch yourself a bit.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Don’t get me started on camping… that’s a topic for another video

[@kimskustomgarage9578]

Totally agree. Nice video, nice message. Thanks mate 👍😃

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@diogenes34]

Well said! Thanks for the vid.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

No problem!

[@johnsanty2169]

Much of what you say is true to my experiences having been a chil in the 1960s. Simply, the hobby has evolved. I accept some of the progress and inovations and others I have rejected.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Sensible attitude

[@danieljohnson1177]

Hi Harry from the USA. I'm a boomer and like you I build to relax and enjoy. Like you I use some of the modern stuff like pe and after market. And just recently got the wood decking for a banner 1/350 Arizona just to try. Love your videos and your work. Keep on trucking. (boomers will understand lol)

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Ten Four good buddy… I think we got ourselves a Convoy

[@jimaltergott9326]

Greetings Harry from Chicago, Illinois! Absolutely love the message of this video 😊 I am from your era sir, built my first model at age 11 in June 1976. A simple Monogram Hurricane Mk.IIc. Been involved in the hobby ever since! I too have drifted far from those simple, innocent days of my youth to "panel lines, photo-etch & resin"! Thanks for posting this straightforward and honest reminder to people like myself that it is about fun & enjoyment! Take care and keep your stuff coming mate!, I love it!!!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks for your heart felt words… glad you liked my video

[@stuartwren5526]

Yup, I'm with you Harry. You can still make it simple, but we'll. 🇬🇧

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Nothing wrong with that

[@ejharrop1416]

Brilliant message Harry, could not agree more. Got reintroduced to modeling after a 60 year or so break by first watching Max’s videos and then have expanded from there, to include you and Chris Beckers as well as others. I got caught up in aspirations of getting back in and making show worthy builds. Bought a small stash of plastic and stick kits and was moving along on getting going on builds. Luckily I realized where my addiction truly lay and it was the box art. I was saved😂. I now know I stink at building and etc. and realized that I am a box art junky and that is where my alpha is. I purchased a few beautiful model planes, the built up ones and that is good enough for my habit. Happily I now know my place in the hobby. Thank you all, cheers mate!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Once you find your groove just go with it :)

[@midsomerjunction6972]

Great video!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks

[@BGsModelWorkshop]

The irony is not lost on my that i was watching this video while working on a 3D printed engine i had just got in the mail! Greta video and I know what you mean about getting old and falling apart. Maybe my maker should have used better glue! 😀

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Maybe my maker should have used better quality parts

[@colinmcginn977]

Perfect and spot on yet again Harry .

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks Colin

[@dennismwallentin296]

Nothing went wrong, it's called evolution. The best part, it's a hobby and you do whatever you want to 😊 If you still annoyed, blame the social media where people go all-in to get a like click. Enjoy modelling and continue to use brush, enamel paint and sniff thinner when cleaning up 😁😁😁

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Absolutely agree, and that was the reason for this video. Don’t be put off by the cacophony of experts on social media, just have fun with the hobby.

[@dennismwallentin296]

@@HarryHoudiniModels Spot on! I tried to participate in various groups on Facebook but realized that these groups served other purposes than public declared. Many guys publish + 100 pictures of their latest finished models, pure photo albums. The sad part is that nobody discusses anything and no other information than the pictures were shared. Yes, on top of these aspects too many self-appointed experts. I miss the good public Q&A Forums.

[@2carnage2]

"Find out what the hobby is for you" perfect statement.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I thought so :)

[@vincentrathbone26]

I couldn't agree with you more, growing up in Moonee Ponds during the 70's and 80's we were very well catered for in regards to toy shops and hobby shops, we had P.J's Hobby World, Granny's Toys, Toy World, Sim's ( now a sports shop ), Coles and the local Newsagent, I would usually buy a kit on Friday's after school and I would spend the whole of Saturday sitting at the kitchen table building and painting Airfix and Matchbox kits AND have fun doing it without worrying about accuracy or exact colours, I definately miss the old days. 😞

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

It was a great time… we had no expectations from ourselves or from anyone else… just the pure fun of model making

[@salc9593]

I enjoy your WTF videos. I've returned to scale modeling after a 45 year hiatus and come to find model building very pleasureful. I've acquired some new items for the past year since my return to modeling (paints, brushes, glue, etc...). and am incorporation my knowledge in electronics and programming to a animate some of my kits. But all the time I remember what my mother use to tell me as a child when it came to building my models in my youth "Build for your own satisfaction and not to others expectations...unless you're being paid for the work" Thank you for your entertaining WTF videos 😀 👍👍

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Your mother was a wise person

[@andrewjones1649]

Harry. I'd pretty much hit the buffers with modelling, very disheartened. I kept on seeing stuff on the internet that I'll never be able to achieve or even really want to, then one day I came upon your ship building tutorials. I was hooked. Been watching you a while now, and my mojo came back. Thank you.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Great to hear Andrew… welcome back aboard

[@mikey673442]

Nailed it mate. The bean counters are running the show. It’s supposed to be a fun hobby. Don’t try to keep up just do your own thing.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Very true Mikey

[@soonermodels1173]

The rivet counters were born

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Fokker the Rivet Counters :)

[@thescalemodeldad]

Great video. I do use some 3d printed and photo etched parts but mostly I scratch build a lot of my own parts. I enjoy the hobby and enjoy using creativity and imagination to build my own parts. That's what draws and keeps me in the hobby.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Sounds like we have similar build needs… thanks for watching

[@dmb531sull]

Yes I loved riding our bikes to Kresge‘s and go to the basement where the models were building a few model cars then getting some M80s and blowing them up oh the memories

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Oh dear, another destroyer of dreams LOL

[@markthomas5110]

100% agree with you Harry. Go back to basics, have fun with your modelling, play with trying different techniques, try something new (I.e if you many build planes, try a car or a lorry). But if you see that one must have kit, that you want to go belt and braces on, then all the extras are fine. Just don’t feel pressurised into thinking every kit requires it.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

That is the message… just do it your way and have fun

[@steveg3981]

Great rant. Lots of common sense. Finally a KZbinr who says you don't need photo-etch. You pay $50 for a model , then check out the experts on line who suggest all kinds of must have extras, costing another $125. Could be more if you buy the fancy weathering paints. such as mud or grime. What a crock. Newcomers with a budget will surely exit stage left. Got a new sub. Look forward to more of your comments

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Welcome aboard Steve… yep, build em out the box, and scratch anything extra you need… if you can’t see it, don’t build it. That’s my motto.

[@sseltrek1a2b]

i think one of the main reasons is that people now have the potential to create a "studio quality" miniature out of every kit because of the technology being where it is, and all the video/teaching resources available...and yes- it is "very" over-whelming (it's given the whole hobby a very "competitive" vibe...)...

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Compete or relax.. you just need to choose

[@doogledog1740]

Quite so , Harry. I see it as akin to life . We start out simple, life gets more and more complex, and then in later life we gain experience, insight, wisdom (? maybe a stretch there) and can reassess things, returning to something simpler and enjoyable. I don't think we can ever go back completely. Things, once learned, are hard to ignore, but perhaps a satisfying level can be found. Thanks.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes a satisfying level is what we are after… great idea

[@johnbollig2790]

Harry, what went wrong was greed. Consumers got older and demanded more than the simple joys of the 1960's /70's kits. Kits got expensive. I remember when airfix cost 99 cents a model. I love the simplicity of airfix 1/72 scale series one kits. I still love a simple kit.

[@supercededman]

Indeed! I have a love and loyalty to Airfix dating back to the baggie days, as you say. I love their current designers, and the passion they obviously have. The latest starter kits are sort of what we had back then. Kudos to Airfix.

[@thanassisveggos627]

I started modeling in the 70s when you could get a 1/600 ship for $5.00 CDN! Airfix doesn't seem to want to get into new ships. I'm still waiting for them to make a 1/350 QE2 Carrier

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Maybe it’s just rose tinted glasses, but it was simpler and far more fun back then

[@blindsquirrel1339]

Good music is still out there. I recently was turned on to independent artist on the Internet. I found in any genre of music is there are independent artist, making quality music and giving it away on the Internet. Which tells me the artist is doing it For the love of the music.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Now that sounds hopeful

[@ricardoroberto7054]

It's only as complicated as you make it. I like to improve all the time so just do what I need to keep improving without having to go mad. I still make vintage airfix just for the challenge. I agree about the panel lines. People go way over the top and it's not realistic.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Well said!

[@skipper2844]

I have watched a number of your vids now and I cant stop laughing. What you say resonates with me and like you, cant get to grips with excessive photo-etch, cant be doing with the pre-shade (why?) or filling in panel lines ? At the end of the day as you said, you build for yourself and at the end of the build it WILL look like the real thing and be recognized as such. To many folks are more concerned with keeping up with other folks, not altogether a bad thing if you are lookin to improve your own build but it can take years to learn and change your way but being a fuddy duddy at 65 I'm happy the way my models turn out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts !

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Good on you matey

[@NEEJER]

Totally agree Harry, I build Stawars models and there is a creeping puritanical element taking all the fun out of the hobby. Just tell them to piss off.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Fokker the Rivet Counters matey

[@nikbarr1721]

i agree with you harry well said mate

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks matey

[@ryburnsjr]

Well said !!!!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks

[@kurainoneko2]

as the hobby grew, people started building not for themselves but for others; to show off instead of having fun, and as it usually happens extra competitive people start making a recreational activity into an ovligation or "work" as we focus more on these people there is the illusion that that's the standard and people get overwhelmed... have fun is the priority. subscribed the second the zeppelin reference came up 😂, great channel!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks matey

[@JAFKARNAT]

Well said. Fully agree with you. No enjoyment, no modelling.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Sad to hear that

[@jonp4890]

Back in the 60's and 70's Airfix models were available for pocket money prices and you could buy them in Woolworth, and newsagents. I could just walk up the road and find a 1'72 aircraft kit I liked the look of. The first expensive kit I remember lusting after was the Tamiya 1/6 Honda CB750 motorcycle, don't know how much it cost in 1970 in the UK, but I know it was way beyond my price range as a 10 year old.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Still an expensive kit…

[@andypellatt7862]

I couldn't agree with you more Harry The problem is that we all have much more choice and with that there is a feeling of one-upmanship... I can spend more and detail more than the next guy OR gall BTW I also enjoy getting in the zone with rigging 😂

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Ah good a fellow Zen knot tier… it is very enlightening

[@beacon_models]

Speaking as both a hobbyist and a plastic kit manufacturer, I think you've identified a lot of what made me want to start producing models that I actually wanted to build. I'm in a place in life where I like small, simple but fun bitesize models which is why Bryan and I picked 1/144 scale to develop as a range. We hoped people would feel the same way, and it looks like they do, and your sentiments here are shared with many of those modellers. Of course there's a place for big detailed kits, I would never knock them, but there's also room for that old hobby shop style kit, just made using modern processes to a better out of the box standard of build and presentation. This is why I think that Airfix releasing their "Vintage Classics" line is really cool too, they're similar in their intent. It's good to have the option of a lower pressure build where you're just zoning out as you described, that can be finished off in a few hours and gives the you satisfaction of a finished model that look good.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks for you comments… I really don’t dislike all aftermarket manufacturers, hope you got the joke.

[@beacon_models]

@@HarryHoudiniModels yes of course no worries mate :D!

[@TheBez1965]

I couldn’t agree more Harry,,all you’ve said is so true ,,,

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Glad it resonated with you

[@paulbrooker5203]

Hello from Scotland, Love the banter Harry , I know you like older kits but I have just had the delivery of the Tiger model CB90 fast assault craft present day , there are a couple of reviews on KZbin but it looks great.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Sounds interesting… I will look it up. Thanks Paul

[@jaws848]

As far as "research" back in the day is concerned it was the box art work or photo....as far as i looked at it thats the way it was supposed to be even if it was actually wrong...i didnt care then and dont care now....i recently etered a group build by the yt chanel Gary's Stuff and the ONLY requirment is the original tooling of the kit you enter is from 1973 or older....you can have a later reissue,paint it or not,build it staight from the box or add a ton of upgrade kits etc...its entirley up to you so i have entered a 1973 Matchbox 1/72 Gnat and the only thing i painted was cockpit interior,2 pilot figures and canopy frame.and kit decals....everything is straight out of the box with wheels up as it had the stand included.....cheap,chearful and quick...the way modelling is SUPPOSED to be

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I still follow the box art to paint and detail my kit… after all I got the kit because I liked the box art.

[@jaws848]

@@HarryHoudiniModels exactly spot on...its the box art more than anything else that sells the kit.

[@javiergilvidal1558]

Well, a 1972 Airfix Martin Marauder is a pretty sophisticated kit you can´t just bang together by shaking the box! Ditto with a 1973 Italaerei (not yet "Italeri") He 111 .... Building a decent 1968 Airfix He 177 was not all that easy, let alone painting the German mottle convincingly, and the same maker´s Superfortress (1966) and Stirling (1967) are a far cry from your 1973 Gnat. The smaller kits were getting quite sophisticated too: taking Airfix Series Three helicopters, the progression Bristol 192 (1959) - Sikorski Sea King (1969) - Westland Puma (1975) is a clear indicator of how manufacturers (even the most popular ones) were catering for an increasingly demanding public fifty or so years ago. Airfix´s DHC Beaver (1973) is also quite far in terms of demands on the modeller from your Matchbox Gnat of the same year. And, please note: Matchbox was just about to give their great leap forward too: witness their 1978 Supermarine Stranraer and 1980 Handley Page Heyford! Not that Airfix hadn´t produced, already in 1968, their monstrous Handley Page 0/400, a real modelling nightmare, only within the grasp of the REAL experts!

[@HamilkarBarkasScaleModelling]

I noticed that a good portion of scale modellers out there are insecure about their results. One can keep explaining to them that the "result" (what a horrible word actually to describe the enjoyable hobby) isn´t important, but the journey to get there and the enjoyment you experience while doing so is essential, yet people remain stressed out despite the encouraging words. Don´t we have enough stress and pressure to succeed at the job already? So the hobby should counterbalance it by being the opposite. However, the enjoyment is also partially rooted in seeing the own skills progressing, getting better with every model feels good right?! How to make it better? Aftermarkets and fancy painting techniques might be the way. It just becomes problematic once people take it too far and put themselves under pressure. A thing i also noticed is that a many modellers build their models as replicas of other models made by the celebrities, not necessarily doing the research to find out what the real thing looked like. Speaking of the different generations, here is a story: My friends and me, all born around 1990, built our tree house in a really old tree my grandfather built his treehouse in as a kid already. Really majestic tree indeed. Yet the baby boomers in the neighbourhood didn´t like it, tore it down and cut the tree down too. Well, its not all the faul of the younger generation that things are, what they are, right :) Each generation is molded by the previous two generations.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Those baby boomers are horrible. Thanks for sharing Michael